Policy
Here Be Mansions: The top 25 locations for £2m homes
It's no surprise that prime central London is home to the majority of £2m+ residences - RBKC and Westminster account for 46% of the England and Wales total, says Knight Frank - but what about those…
New Australian clampdown ‘sign of international backlash against wealthy Chinese property investors’
The Australian government has unveiled new proposals to curb foreign investment pouring into its real estate market.
PM Tony Abbott
Lewis looks to speed up s106 negotiations
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis is looking at ways to overhaul the Section 106 agreements process, with an eye to speeding up planning negotiations.
Notting Hill mews teams up for mass roof extension
What's thought to be London's biggest ever joint extension scheme is currently being weighed up by planners in west London.
Is deflation good for the property market?
Whilst deflation shrinks the value of the equity in a property, the debt rises commensurately and that is not good for the "feel good factor", says Trevor Abrahmsohn...
Kensington & Chelsea publishes new basement planning guidance
Nearly a month after adopting a new policy designed to clamp down on subterranean development, the Royal Borough has released detailed guidance and advice for developers and homeowners applying for permission…
The Cook Report: Mansion tax is ‘outdated and unnecessary’
Savills' Director of Research Lucian Cook has been moonlighting, penning a swingeingly anti-mansion tax manifesto for right-leaning think tank the Centre for Policy Studies.
Out of the Shadows: Reforming Rights of Light
The Law Commission describes a 'right of light' as an easement that gives a landowner the right to receive light through defined apertures in buildings on his or her land.
Another country clamps down on foreign buyers
Hot on the heels of Australia's proposals to stem the tide of foreign buyers snapping up its top-end real estate, Taiwan has announced plans to impose a whacking great 30% tax rate on overseas property…
Australia to curb foreign property investment ‘within weeks’
Australia will be unveiling plans to put the brakes on foreign investment into its resi property market "within weeks" in a bid to curtail soaring prices.
Required Reading: Stamp Duty Reform and the Prime London Market
The long-criticised slab rate system for Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) was abolished in the Autumn Statement in December 2014, seeking to bring fairness to property purchase costs and benefiting 98% of homebuyers.
Government outlines London’s short-term lettings shake-up
The government has been laying out its plans to ditch the "confusing" restrictions on short-terms lets in the capital.